Back to the Future and the Year 2038 Problem: Keeping Embedded Systems on Track

If the Back to the Future movie franchise taught us anything, it’s that time travel can be thrilling. But in the embedded world, unexpected time jumps are anything but fun.

Imagine this: It’s January 19, 2038. A satellite that’s been running flawlessly since 2023 suddenly believes it’s 1901. Logs go haywire, systems misfire, and engineers are left scratching their heads. What happened?

Welcome to the Year 2038 problem: a real-world time glitch that could affect long-lived embedded systems. Fortunately, VxWorks® has already taken the DeLorean out for a spin and made sure your systems won’t get stuck in the past.

What Is the Year 2038 Problem?

Many embedded systems use a 32-bit signed integer to represent time as the number of seconds since January 1, 1970 (the Unix epoch). This format maxes out at 2,147,483,647 seconds, which lands us on January 19, 2038, at 03:14:07 UTC.

After that? The counter flips to a negative number, and systems start thinking it’s 1901. That’s not just confusing — it can lead to data corruption, system crashes, or unpredictable behavior. 

The problem probably sounds familiar. In the early days of computing, software developers took similar date storage shortcuts (for example, using 89 to represent the year 1989), which led to the Year 2000 problem. Fortunately, by working together, the computer industry identified Y2K vulnerabilities and addressed them well in advance. As a result, few computers worldwide malfunctioned on January 1, 2000. It was handled so well that some people today trivialize the significant technological and industry achievement.

It's time to repeat the exercise for the Year 2038 problem.

Why Embedded Systems Are Especially Vulnerable

Embedded devices are built to last. They run for decades without updates, they power critical infrastructure (such as satellites, industrial robots, and medical devices), and they use real-time operating systems (RTOS) with strict timing requirements.

These systems can’t afford to get the date wrong. And they definitely can’t afford to misbehave.

VxWorks: Your Shield Against Time-Travel Glitches

Wind River saw this challenge coming and acted early.

VxWorks 7 has supported 64-bit time stamps since 2020, which means it has:

• 64-bit time_t support across kernel and user space
• Updated API support for both 64-bit and legacy 32-bit systems
• No date overflow in 2038, plus seamless support for dates far into the future

If you’re building new systems today, VxWorks 7 is your go-to platform for long-term reliability.

Still running VxWorks 6.x? You’re not alone. That’s why Wind River released RCPL8 for VxWorks 6.9.4.12 in 2025, adding Year 2038 support for key components and migration guidance to help you transition safely.

The Year 2038 problem is real — but it’s also manageable. If you’re building or maintaining embedded systems, here’s your checklist:

1. Audit your code: Are you using 32-bit time_t?
2. Check your OS version: Are you on VxWorks 7 or a patched 6.x?
3. Plan for the future: Especially for systems with long lifespans.
4. Talk to Wind River: We have the tools and expertise to help.

With VxWorks, you’re not just avoiding a glitch. You’re building systems that last, perform, and won’t blink when the clock strikes 2038.

Time flies — but with VxWorks, your systems won’t lose track.

By Janus Yau, Senior Product Manager, Wind River